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JUNCTION CITY, ORE – The oldest living major league baseball player has passed away. Former Boston Red Sox second baseman Bobby Doerr, a resident of Junction City, died on Tuesday at the age of 99.

Doerr was voted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 1986 and had his jersey number retired by the Red Sox in 1988. He finished his career with a .288 batting average and 2,042 hits. Doerr was a nine-time all-star at second base and once went 414 game without an error – a record at the time.

Doerr moved his family to Junction City – his wife’s hometown – after retiring from baseball. As a young ball player in San Diego, Doerr spent an off-season fishing in Oregon and fell in love with the state and met his future wife.

Doerr was a longtime supporter of baseball and was a booster for the Sheldon High School baseball program in Eugene. The hitting facility at the Irish baseball field bares his name and prior to a game between Roseburg and Sheldon in 2016, Doerr was recognized for his generosity. The Roseburg players got a chance to meet Doerr and shake his hand before the game began.